Pulp International - The Earl MacPherson Sketch Book for 1949

Jun 5 2013

What are little girls made of? Pencil, paint, and lots of practice.

It’s been a while since we shared a calendar, so today we have The MacPherson Sketch Book for 1949, which contains not just finished pin-up art, but sketches and studies. Oklahoma born artist Earl MacPherson published more than one of these—nine, we’ve heard, selling millions of copies—and we imagine they were pretty inspiring stuff, quite possibly sending numerous future painters, illustrators and comic book artists on their first steps along the path of visual art. Looking at the twelve scans below it’s easy to see why.

Oklahoma Earl MacPherson calendar

The headlines that mattered yesteryear.

1934—Baby Face Nelson Killed

In the U.S., killer and bank robber Baby Face Nelson, aka Lester Joseph Gillis, dies in a shoot-out with the FBI in Barrington, Illinois. Nelson is shot nine times, but by walking directly into a barrage of gunfire manages to kill both of his FBI pursuers before dying himself.

1922—Egyptologists Enter Tut's Tomb

British Egyptologists Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon become the first people to enter the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in over 3000 years. Though sometimes characterized as scholars, Carter and Carnarvon were primarily interested in riches, and cut up Tut's mummy to more easily obtain the jewels and gold affixed to him.

1947—Hollywood Blacklist Instituted

The day after ten Hollywood writers and directors are cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to give testimony to the House Committee on Un-American Activities, the group, known as the "Hollywood Ten," are blacklisted by Hollywood movie studios.

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